


Sibling Dinner

by HK44



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Family Dinners, Fluff, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25049128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HK44/pseuds/HK44
Summary: "This is Macaria, Melinoe and Zagreus." Nico clapped his hands them brandished them out to the sides. "Godly siblings."
Comments: 4
Kudos: 58





	Sibling Dinner

"This is Macaria-"

The woman smiled and shook Hazel's hand. "Call me Mac."

"-Melinoe and Zagreus." Nico clapped his hands them brandished them out to the sides. "Godly siblings."

"Hi." Hazel shook the other two's hands before turning back to Mac. "I remember meeting you before."

"I run Elysium," she said. "So we got introduced during your trial. I thought it was very sweet of you to defend your mother like that. Though I did miss having you join me."

Hazel's skin burned. She ducked her head. "Thank you."

"She means it," Melinoe said. "She's too nice to lie."

"I can lie," Macaria huffed. She crossed her arms. "I'm just not a fan of it."

Zagreus snorted. "Baby."

Macaria cut her eyes at him. "I'm sorry, Zag. Which one of us is the baby here? You?"

He scowled. Despite being a head shorter, he seemed to cower from her hard stare, muttering, "Technically _they're_ the babies."

"They're heroes," Melinoe said slowly. "They've done more than you."

Zagreus pushed her face away. She barely teetered, taller than all of them and clearly well stanced, like their father. "Yeah, well, I didn't disappoint our mother."

"I'll do anything to get that rapist out of worshipping range," Melinoe said. "He doesn't deserve his place."

Melinoe. Oh.

Right.

Hazel dropped her gaze from her face.

She was on the other side of the first war.

"But did you have to do it that way?" Macaria sighed. Shaking her head she slung an arm around Nico's shoulders. "Look at him. He's so squishy! How could you torment this face?"

Melinoe looked at their sister. No emotion sat in her eyes. "Easily."

Nico rolled his eyes and slid out from under Macaria's hold. She let him go without compliant. "Are you taking us to dinner or not?"

"What, are you homeless again?" Zagreus scowled. "How many times I gotta show you how to hunt?"

"I'm not homeless."

Zagreus ignored Nico. "He was very homeless. We found him on the street, just starving. Absolutely ridiculous. Like I didn't show him how to catch birds when he was seven."

Hazel giggled as Nico's scowl deepened. "I was ten with no memories. Leave it alone."

"The absolute disrespect he showed me." Zagreus shook his head. "It's like he never loved me."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Nico exhaled sharply. "Why did I agree to this?"

"Love?" Macaria suggested, taking both their hands and yanking them forward.

Shadows rushed past Hazel's skin, a burst of light pulling them into the foyer of some fancy restaurant. She looked down, her clothes changed from her SPQR shirt and cargo shorts to a simple flower-print blouse and circle skirt. Even her sneakers were gone. Replaced with comfy but strappy flats. She ran a hand over her hair, feeling intricate braids curling down her back.

She looked at Nico, who was regarding his new outfit with disdain. She knew he hated getting dressed up, preferring loose cottons and the weight of his aviator jacket. But he looked nice. A clean white button-up and black slacks, black dress shoes to match and skull cufflinks.

Among the other three, Macaria took her attention first, stepping forward to meet the hostess. Her hair, previously dressed down, was pulled up in a tight bun, showcasing the curls against the back of her neck. No longer in a black hoodie, she was wearing a black a-line dress that cut off at her knees, heels giving her another two or so inches. The dress glittered soft with the sparkle of cut diamonds. As the hostess looked down at her book of reservations, Macaria shot them all a pleasant smile, a gold clip pulling back her bangs.

Hazel glanced over at the other two.

Holding a black and white clutch in her hand, Melinoe was now wearing a floral printed shirt, much like Hazel's, but with a far lower cut and darker colours. Her dual coloured hair was braided around her head like a crown. Small glittering flowers were adorning the braids. Her pants remained the same, black slacks that sank far below her ankles, hiding her shoes from until she shifted, showing off an open-toed sandal.

Zagreus was admiring the rest of the entrance way. He smiled softly as another customer walked past. The man's eyes lingered on him for just a moment too long if the way his wife clutched at his wrist and glared at him was anything to go by. Hazel watched them furiously whisper at each other as they walked out the door.

She understood the linger. Almost felt sorry for the man.

Zagreus had gone from high-waisted pants to a high-waisted split skirt. His shirt was black, a comfy blouse, with a mess lining that would've shown off his cleavage had he had any. Like the others he was adorned in jewels, but more so. It dripped off him. Gold and silver rings. Bracelets glimmering against his wrists. A plunging obsidian necklace around his throat with an emerald skull pendant hanging. Alongside it, he had on a golden choker. Instead of diamonds in his hair, he had diamond ear crawler earrings shaped like a stag horns.

As the hostess gestured for them to follow, Macaria turned to all of them, clapping her hands. "Oh, we all look so cute. We should take a photo."

"At the table," Melinoe said, walking past her and on the heels of the hostess. When she walked, people stepped out of her way fast. It was nice to not have to beg "excuse me" just to move someone out of her way in a fancy place.

At the table, Macaria let them all sit down before corralling them close together for a photo on her phone.

"You act like we've never been here before." Zagreus snapped his fingers at a man wheeling away a cart of wine. The man came at once, looking starstruck as he looked Zagreus over.

Macaria rolled her eyes. "They haven't been here," she said, Zagreus ignoring her to order wine.

Other than that, he paid the man no mind. And still the man looked at him like he'd painted the sky.

"Zag has that effect on men," Melinoe said as the man left.

Zagreus smiled at her. "People love the concept of being reborn." He fiddled with his earrings. "They love feeling young."

"Please don't do anything to that man," Macaria said, taking a menu as they were handed out. Rapidfire, they all echoed out drink orders, Nico even faster with his order than Hazel was. A mumble of “water” trembled from her lips and she watched the waiter walk away, feeling unable to keep up

A hand resting over hers, Nico leaned in to whisper, "Just relax. They do this all the time. And you can talk if you want to but they'll never force it out of you. Though if you do add in, they'll love it." He flipped open the menu and clicked his tongue, his voice louder now. "Oh, steak."

"No steak is as good as mine," Zagreus said immediately. "No one order steak." He pointed at Hazel. "No steak."

She laughed under her breath. "I don't like steak that much."

"You will when I cook it," he said. The man came back, carting a fresh bottle of whatever he had asked for. "Oh _finally_."

"It was literally a minute," Melinoe muttered.

Zagreus ignored her, smiling a dazzling grin at the man as he put the bottle back into the ice. "Oh, do leave it for us, won't you, darling?"

The man spluttered through an agreement, stumbling back. Hazel watched him nearly trip over his own feet before another waiter managed to grab him and put him back together. Zagreus snorted and took a sip.

"Poor man," Hazel said, looking down at her menu. Despite being dyslexic, she found she could read each word. Melinoe smiled at her over the top of her own menu.

"He'll be fine,” Macaria assured.

“Just another soul for our father’s world,” Zagreus said.

Nico snorted. “That’s awfully confident.”

“Look at him.” Zagreus nodded discreetly in the poor man’s direction. He was still watching their table, nearly spilling a drink against the white tablecloth of another table. “All men are weak against my pretty eyes.”

“More like your slutty vibes,” Melinoe said. She clicked her tongue. “I think...” A light smirk slid over her lips. “I’ll get the steak and potatoes.”

“Do you want me to kill you?” Zagreus pointed a fork at her. “I’ll do it, don’t test me, traitor.”

Melinoe smiled at him. “Leave the fork threatening for others, Zag.” She snapped her menu shut. “I’m getting lobster and alfredo ravioli.”

“Oh, that sounds _nice_.” Macaria shut her menu and placed it on top. “I’ll get that. And maybe some bread.” She sighed deeply. “I love bread.”

“You and our father,” Zagreus laughed. He closed his menu and looked at Hazel, a mocking but somehow sweet grin over his lips. “She’s not allowed to go to France anymore because of how much she likes bread.”

Hazel looked at her, lost and amused.

“Just because I threatened a baker during a war does not mean I should be _banned_ from travelling.” Macaria sighed. “I wish Father would recognize that already. I was very tired and overworked and just wanted comfort food. There were so many sad children looking at me everyday. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“They were looking at me too but I still didn’t threaten to kill a man’s family in front of him if he didn’t bake for me,” Melinoe said.

“Yeah, but you don’t have a heart, Mellie.”

Melinoe’s eyes narrowed. “I have a heart.”

Zagreus nodded at Nico. “Squish face.”

“You have got to stop bringing that up.”

Nico snorted and closed his menu. The action made Hazel realize she was the only one without a choice. She blinked rapidly, drawing her attention back to the words and trying to ignore the prices.

Leaning in close, Macaria whispered, “You can get finger foods if you’d like. We won’t mind. This isn’t a business dinner.”

Hazel felt her skin warm. She hadn’t even considered that eating something that required fingers would be inappropriate. She’d never been rich growing up. She wasn’t the daughter of a diplomat and her father had not been a highly active participant in her life at the time. Not after her mother wasted her demand on what basically accumulated into a “get rich quick” scheme.

She was never sure if she should be offended about it. That her father was active in Nico’s previous life, even if he barely remembered it. Perhaps he didn’t care about her in the same way, didn’t love her mother the same way. Or maybe he saw the curse coming, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it and not wanting to watch another one of his mortal children be thrown to the wolves.

He didn’t take her back to the Underworld, even though he had all the right to. Even though she’d been expecting it.

Their relationship would always been complex. But she could appreciate that he was trying. Whether it was now or something he’d always been doing. Hidden in the shadows. Out of her sight.

Closing her menu, she watched Macaria stack it on top of the others. She folded her hands over her lap, feeling visible and out of place. She looked at Zagreus across from her. Nervously, she reached up to tug at her earlobe. “Um, your earrings are...nice.”

He smiled softly. “They were a gift.”

“From another poor mortal?” she asked, trying to sound teasing.

He grinned, wicked and wide. Success bubbled in her heart. “No, no. From my boyfriend. Menoetes.”

Melinoe snorted. Hazel closed her eyes, translating from Greek to Roman. “The cattle guy?”

“Yes!” Zagreus slapped the table. “He’s so handsome.”

“I still cannot believe out of all the people you could’ve chosen-”

“He’s _handsome_ , Mel.” He took another gulp of his wine, glaring at her over the rim of the glass.

“Handsomely dirty, I guess.”

“Stop talking to me.”

Macaria beamed at the two of them. Under the glow of the lights, they all seemed ethereal. Regal entities. At first sight, they’d seemed average, like any other person who walked along the street but now...

Hazel swallowed and looked back down at her calloused hands and bitten down nails.

“Oh, Hazel.” She looked up at Melinoe. “Nico says _you_ have a boyfriend as well. Frank? Do you mind telling us about him? Is he treating you well?”

Nodding, Hazel relaxed. Frank was easy to talk about. “He’s really sweet. He was, um, part of our team when we rescued Mors - Thanatos - and took down Gaea. And he was really helpful when Nico dropped me off at camp. He introduced me to everyone and showed me around camp and even-” She snorted. “-helped me with the wolf-trained demigods.”

“Ugh, Lupa.” Zagreus rolled his eyes. “Between her and Artemis, I’m almost afraid to shoot wolves. And you know how many of them try to steal my catches? Opportunistic bastards.”

“Do they still lick each other?” Macaria giggled. “I remember during our Roman era, they would chase the chickens. Father would get so annoyed by it but they were dead so it wasn’t like they could do much harm to them. Just bothered them a lot.”

Hazel nodded. “They still lick each other. It was... really _weird_ to experience.” She shrugged. “But they have a very good sense of family. Sometimes. So it’s... not as bad as it could be, I guess.”

“Yes, for wolves they’re awfully picky when they want to be,” Melinoe said. 

Zagreus waved his hand dismissively as the waiter came back and deposited their drinks. “That’s how you keep them in line. Shun the outcast until they learn their place.” He slid his finger over the rim of his glass. “A caesar to start and seafood risotta. _Don’t_ -” He looked at the waiter. “-overdo the lemon.” He smiled, something dangerous in the glint of his teeth, a hunter observing his prey. “I will be able to tell.”

Then he turned his head, voice changing back to the light, happy tone it’d been earlier. “Honestly, I despite the Roman values they teach. It’s so unbearable. I’d go insane.” He gently nodded his glass Hazel’s direction. “Kudos on you for not.”

“Two lobsters and two alfredo raviolis,” Melinoe clipped. “And a round of garlic bread for everyone, thank you.”

The waiter nodded, shooting a nervous look at Zagreus who was sipping his wine, uncaring. Melinoe’s eyes hardened and he let out a squeak turning to Macaria.

She smiled, cutting him off before he even began. “I was the double order, dear. Carry on with the other two.”

Nico squeezed Hazel’s thigh reassuringly. His accent came out, as it always did when he spoke Italian, subtle, a slight undercurrent, but sweet to the ear nonetheless. “Pollo alla parmigiana.” He tapped his glass, already drained. “And another refill, if you would, thank you.”

The waiter nodded. “And you, miss?”

She blinked, her eyes searching down for the words that seemed to escape her. But her menu wasn’t with her anymore, collected to the side with everyone else’s. Nico squeezed her thigh softly again. A calm reassurance.

_I have you_.

She swallowed thickly. “Uh, the mushroom tortellini, please?”

The waiter nodded and took Nico’s glass with him as he walked off.

Nico leaned in. “You did great.”

She sighed and pretended to be fixing his bangs as she whispered, “Now just for the rest of the night.”

He laughed and kissed her cheek, swift, soft, a bare touch, but enough that she felt settled. The other three smiled at them before delving back into conversation, teasing and almost routine. It was the kind of relationship she’d wanted with Nico when they first met, when he called himself her brother and pulled her out of the shadows of death. Something familiar and soft, comfortable. Familial.

She had it now, with him.

She was eager to have it with them too.

**Author's Note:**

> sibling bonding sibling bonding
> 
> also refer to [here](https://happyk44.tumblr.com/post/622613968008183808/for-butt-puncher-and-anyone-else-curious-about-my) for further explanation on the godly sibs


End file.
